THE BLUE WHALE DISASTER
Blue Whale- a new game that gives a set of dangerous tasks to an individual for them to complete. These tasks start with simple dares ad then proceeds into the realm of self-harm and ultimately suicide. This game has claimed many lives till now and the sensation is still growing. The dares include tasks like self-harming by carving something on someone’s arm, to even violently attack someone and can even be to jump in front of a train or jump off of a building.
Young teens, of ages 14-15, are under a lot of pressure from their peers and surrounding people to feel accepted into the society or gatherings. These people are the easiest to manipulate since they have not yet developed their mental strength, decision making of right and wrong and under the influence of the modern society, they feel the pressure of being attractive. Teens of this modern generation are more into social media which is highly addictive and then comes a game, which preys of the weakness of these individuals and spread terror.
At this age, children tend to seek acceptance of their peers and in our society, we don’t value the physical presence of the person sitting next to us, but rather the attention of someone who is not present at the situation. Thus the overwhelming number of teens, all busy with their mobile phones on a family dinner table.
Studies have shown people addicted to social media ,feel good when someone likes their photo or makes a comment, because of a chemical released in their body called “dopamine”, which makes us feel the “good feeling” while involved in social media. This is the exact same chemical that is released in our body when we drink alcohol or smoke. This causes the addiction. Young teens, with no fault of their own, comes in contact with the effects of social media and its addiction, since we have age restrictions on smoking and drinking but none on the use of social media.
Since the spike of this game, posts on Instagram related to being sick or death have increased a thousand fold. Children need proper care and parenting and have to understand that they don’t need to follow whatever is trending among the masses and need to be taught to say “No” to things that might harm them or consult elders, preferably family members, before doing any tasks set to them by some random game/app.
People need to understand that asking for help or advice is a sign of strength, as no human being on earth can do everything without anyone’s help.
This game, Blue Whale, clearly attacks the weakest section of human civilization, by making young kids, who might have had a fantastic future ahead of them, commit suicide and inflict self-harm and violence, all in the sense of peer acceptance. This game shows the fundamental flaws in our modern society that is lack of parenting and too much exposure to harsh world before the appropriate age and mental abilities.
One day, if someone creates a game that is exact opposite of Blue Whale where the tasks could be:
1. Meeting friends
2. Talking to family members
3. Participating in potluck lunches
4. Enjoying a one day picnic
5. A late night reading of a book
6. Visiting your native place/grand parents
7. Sitting with elders and actually listening to them
8. Playing outdoors
9. Spending quality time with your spouse.
10. Finally, once a week putting your phone on flight mode for the entire day and playing with your kids and their friends.
And in the end all the players reclaim their lives. Perhaps a better life than the one they are living now.